Vehicle transmission systems



March 14, 1961 c. HENDERSON VEHICLE TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS Filed July 15, 1957 Attorney.;

nited States Patent 2,974,769 VEHICLE TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS Cyril Henderson, New Malden, England, assigner to Smiths America Corporation, Washington, D.C. Filed July 15, 1957, Ser. No. 671,836 Claims priority, application Great Britain July 13, 1956 3 Claims. (Cl. 192103) 'Ihe present invention relates to transmissions for vehicles of the kind in which power is transmitted from a power unit, for example an internal combustion engine, to the driving wheels through one or other of a plurality of gear trains and a clutch capable of slipping and of transmitting torque when in a slipping condition variable in accordance with the degree of energisation thereof.

In transmissions of this kind it is extremely undesirable for the clutch to be hilly energised when there is a substantial difference between the speeds of the driving and driven members, as then a sudden jerk or lurch of the vehicle is produced.V This state of aiairs may occur most frequently if the engine is running at a speed below that corresponding to the vehicle speed for the particular gear ratio engaged, when full energisation of the' clutch may give a decelerating torque equal to the slipping torque of the clutch when fully energised.

It is the object of the invention to provide means to ensure, in a transmission of the kind referred to, that the clutch is not fully engaged under such conditions as to apply a large decelerating torque to the transmission.

According to the present invention, in a transmission system of the kind referred to, we provide means responsive to the torque transmitted to the driving wheels to permit only partial energisation of the clutch unless the said torque exceeds some predetermined value in the sense corresponding to acceleration of the vehicle.

The means responsive to the transmitted torque may comprise a torque-measuring device associated with the usual vehicle propeller shaft. The use of such a device would however be inconvenient in many cases, and preferably the means responsive to transmitted torque comprise an acceleration-responsive device, mounted on the vehicle so as to be responsive to acceleration of the vehicle in the forward direction. Preferably two similar acceleration-responsive devices are provided, directed at equal acute angles to one side and the other of the forward direction, whereby a measure of compensation for the effects of centrifugal force during a turn of the vehicle may be achieved.

The acceleration responsive devices may conveniently consist of horizontally mounted tubes, each containing a globule of mercury and having a pair of contacts at its rear end, which are bridged by the mercury globule when the component of aceleration along the tube exceeds some predeterminedlow Value. v

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with respect tothe accompanying drawings of which Figure l shows a schematic representation of a vehicle chassis and Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of an associated transmissioncontrol system. Y Y

Referring to `Figure 2, a conventional dynamo `1, driven from the engine of the vehicle, has an armature 2 and held winding 3, one terminal of 'each of these being grounded. The ungrounded terminal of armature 2 is connected to terminal 7 of a conventional voltage regulator and Ycut out, indicated at 4. y One terminal of regulator 4 is connected to the Vungrounded terminal of the usual battery 9, anda terminal 8 is connected to ground. Current for the dynamo eld is supplied from terminal 6 of regulator 4, the regulator normally operating in a known manner to maintain the field current Patented Mar. 14, 1961 rice at such a value as to maintain the voltage at terminal 7 substantially constant (for suiiiciently high engine speeds). Terminal 6 is connected through resistors 10 and 11 in series to the ungrounded terminal of Winding 3. A choke switch 33 is connected in parallel with resistor 11. Flow of current from battery 9 is controlled by the usual ignition switch 12, current passing therethrough, when closed, to line 13. One terminal of a relay coil T is connected to lline 13 and the other terminal is connected through a throttle switch 14 to ground. Relay coil T operates a change-over switch T1 and an on-oi switch T2. Relay coils G and C each have one terminal connected yto line 13. The other terminals of coils G and C are connected together through a neutral switch 15, and to ground through governor switch 16 and gear shift switch 17 respectively. Relay coil G operates change-over switches G1 and G2, and relay coil C operates change-over switches C1 and C2. One xed contact 18 of switch T1 is connected to terminal 7, and the other xed contact 19 is grounded. The moving Contact 2i) is connected to a xed Contact 21 of switch G2. The other tixed contact 22 of switch G2 is connected through switch T2, and a top' gear switch 23 in series to line 13. Moving contact 24 of switch G2 is connected I,to a xed contact 25 of switch C1. The moving contacts 26 and 27 of switches C1 and C2 respectively are connected to the terminals of a clutch-energising winding 28. Fixed contact 29 of switch C1 is grounded, as is also fixed contact 3!) of switch C2. Fixed contact 31 of switch C2 is connected through a resistor 32 to line 13. The moving contact 34 of switch G1 is connected to the ungrounded terminal of winding 3, and a iixed contact 35 is connected to terminal 6 of regulator 4. The other fixed contact 36 is connected through a resistor 37 to line 13. A resistor 38 and mercury switches 39 and 40 are all connected in parallel between contact 22 and line 13.

Throttle switch 14 s actuated in accordance with movement of the usual engine throttle, and is made when the Ithrottle is closed. When switch 14 is closed relay coil T is energised moving Contact 2.0 of switch T1 engages contact 19, and switch T2 is opened. Governor switch 16 is actuated by a governor (not shown) of a conventional kind driven from the output shaft of the vehicle gear box. It is arranged that switch 16 is closed when the road speed of the vehicle is below approximately 1G m.p.h. When switch 16 is closed relay coil'G is energized, moving contact 24 engages contact 21 and moving contact 34 engages contact 36. Gear shift switch 17 which may conveniently be of the kind shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,263,047, is installed in the root of the gear lever of the vehicle and is closed only when pressure is being exerted on the lever during a gear change. When switch 17 is closed relay coil C is energised, moving contact 26 engages contact 29 and moving contact 27 engages contact 31. Neutral switch 15 is actuated by the gear lever so that it is closed only when the transmission is in neutral. Choke switch 33 is actuated by the choke so that it is opened only when the choke is in operation. Top gear switch 23 is actuated by the gear lever so that it is closed only Iwhen the transmission is in top gear.

The clutch (indicated at 42) which has an energising winding 28 may lbe of any convenient form, but is preferably of the form in which torqueqis transmitted between driving and driven members through a mass of finely divided ferromagnetic particles subjected to a magnetic tield controlled by the energising winding, such as is shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,575,360, i.e. a magnetic powder clutch. Clutch 42 couples the engine (indicated at 43) to a conventional synchromesh gear -box (indii cated at 44) which is, in turn, connected to the driving wheels (indicated at 46).

The mercury switches 39 and 40 each consist of a glass tube containing a globule of mercury with a pair of contacts sealed into the glass at one end. The contacts areat the rear end of each tube, and the arrangement is such that when the tube is unacceierated the globule is clear of the contacts and when the tube is sub-i jected to an `appreciable acceleration along the tube the contacts are bridged. Switches 39 and 40 are mounted at any convenient place on the vehicle such as on the bulkhead 45 with their axes substantially horizontal and directed forwardly at angles of about 30 to one side and the other of a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (indicated by arrow 41 in Figure 2).

The mercury switches, the three relays and the resistors may conveniently be mounted together in the vehicle on a suitable chassis as shown in Figure 1 andl indicated by the dotted square at 47. Circuit connection 48 supplies the clutch coil 28 in clutch 42.

The operation of the transmission willV now be described. It should be stated that in the figure all the contacts are shown in the positions they assume when the vehicle is at rest, the ignition switch is open, the various coils are de-energised, and the throttle'is closed.

Y When starting olf :from rest in a low gear the throttle is opened so that switch Mis open. Governor switch V16 is made, and neutral switch 15 and gear shift switch 17, are open. `Switches T1, T2, C1, and C2 are therefore in the positions shown in the figure, and moving contact 24 of switch G2 is in engagement with contact 21 and moving lcontact 34 of switch G1 is in engagement with contact 36. The clutch energisiug VwindingnZi is fed from the dynamo. The dynamo eld winding 3 is fed partly through resistor from terminal 6 ofV the regu lator, and partly through resistor 37 from accumulator 9. This arrangement ensures that the dynamo output, and

hence clutch energisation increases gradually with road speed at very low speeds. lf the choke is in operation resistor 111 is placed in series with resistor t? to'cater for the increased engine idling speed.

When the speed exceeds about 10 mph. `governor' switch i216 opens so that relay'coil G is de-energised,

' regulator.

A gear shift commences with pressurebeing applied to the gear lever. soV that gear shift switch 17 is madef and relay coil C energised.Y Moving contact 26 engages contact 29 and Vmoving contact 27 engages contact 31V so that a small reverse current passes through the' clutch winding 28 from resistor/32 to overcomethe erectsY of remanence (thereby causing the clutch to release more rapidly). When the gear shift is'completed gear shift switch 17 is opened and switches C1 and C2 return to their original position to re-energise the clutch. If the transmission is `put into neutral below about 10 mph. relay coil C is energised through switches 15 and 16 to .free the clutch. if the throttle is closed when the vehicle switches will be'closed, andthe clutch will be energized through it from the accumulator. lf the vehicle is not accelerating Ythe mercury switches open, andthe clutch isenergised. through resistor 38, which is such that the clutch slips at about one-third of the maximum engine torque. -Hence full engagement of the clutch 'cannot Y ,occur in such conditions as torgive rise toa decelerating jerk. Two mercury switches at an angle are used to ensure that when turning a corner at a more or less unform speed a forwardly directed component of centrifugal force does not in normal circumstances cause partial deenergisation of the clutch-, as may readily occur if a single devicev lyingY along the longitudinal axis is used. When the vehicle "is Vrunning at Y'high speed full torque may be required eventhough the vehicle is not accelerating (to overcome wind"Y resistance etc.). Switch 23 is provided to dealr with this' situation byconnecting contact 22 to line 13 through switch T2 when the transmission is in top gear and-the-throttle-open.

It will be appreciated that when ascending a gradient ofsubst-antial magnitude inan' indirect gear at a uniform speed the force of gravi-tyY acting on the-.mercury of switches 39- and 40 will ensure that the clutch can be fullyengaged. Y

To avoid'freezing of the mercury in conditions of extreme cold, part atleast of resistor 38- may be wound round the-glass tubes.

While there havebeen describedabove what are presently believed tobe the preferred forms: of the invention, variationsthereof will be obvious` tothose skilled in the art and all such changes andvariations which falli within the spirit of the invention are intended` to beV covered by the generic terms inthe appended claims, which are Variably worded-to thatrend. Y

1'. In av vehicle having yan engine -and'- driving wheels, a transmission system comprisingaclutch through which torqueisf transmitted from theengine to the driving wheels, controlmeans forthe clutch controlling the engagement of the clutch, the said means having a first condition/ in which the clutch may be fully engaged and a second condition in which the clutch may be only partially engaged, rst and second acceleration-responsive devices situated on the vehicle and eachrresponsive to acceleration in a ixeddirection, the fixed directions of the devices being horizontal with respect to the vehicle and at equal acute angles to one side and the other of the forward direction thereof, means operatively connecting-'thel devices tovthe control means to place them in said second condition if the forward acceleration of both of the devices in their respective fixed directions falls below a predetermined low value andotherwise to place themV in saidrst condition.

2. A transmission system asclaimed in claim'l whereinthe first andv second acceleration-,responsive devices comprise first and second mercury switches.

' Y3. A transmission system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the clutch is Yelectrically energized by-means of an energizing winding, and the control'means comprise a source of electrical power, a resistor and circuitgconnecting elements connecting the Vsource of power in series with 'both' the resistor and the energizing winding, and said rst and second mercury switches each in parallel `with the resistor, whereby the control means are in said second conditionV when both the mercury switches are openand otherwise are in said lrrst condition.Y

References CitedV inthe 4tilelof this patent UNITEDV STATES PATENTS..Y j

1,893,644 Fleischer nm.V ifo, 1933 2,070,176 Philips -Feb. 9, 1937 2,109,420 Y Guernsey Feb. 22', 19,38 2,173,116 Kliesrath Sept. 19, 1939 2,225,315 McCollum Dec.' 17, 1940 2,252,136 Price Augf12, 1941 2,255,389V Lange Sept. 9,Y 1941 2,302,005 Caves NOVA. 17, 1942 2,762,476 Gaylordl etal Sept, 1I, 1956 Y n FOREIGN PATENTS Y 185,243 Y Austria. Apr. 10, 1956 

